


Sleepover!

by ElectricSnowman



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-21
Updated: 2016-07-28
Packaged: 2018-07-25 21:39:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 10,083
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7548130
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ElectricSnowman/pseuds/ElectricSnowman
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Frisk decides to invite Napstablook over for a sleepover! Napstablook may still seem a bit timid and unsure of the idea, but the inhabitants are sure to give him a warm, friendly welcome! ...Most of them, anyway.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

One silent, calming afternoon, Napstablook was lying on the ground, feeling like garbage, as usual. Even though the ghost didn’t quite have a reason to feel so down ever since monsters returned to the surface, it was very relaxing nonetheless. Nothing would stop him from continuing his family tradition, of course—

**_SLAM!_ **

An incredibly loud noise echoed throughout the household, but Napstablook barely even flinched. He already knew who was home.

“Blooky, darling! I have fabulous news!” Mettaton darted towards his cousin with a dazzling grin.

_“What is it?”_

“Frisk has invited you over for a sleepover tonight! Isn't that wonderful?”

Napstablook opened his eyes and peered up at Mettaton from his spot on the floor, eyes widening. _“Sleepover?”_ he repeated.

Mettaton took him and nearly threw him in the air. “Yes, a sleepover! I ran into Toriel at the grocery store, and she was talking about how Frisk has been wanting to see you again to hang out, then she suggested a sleepover tonight would be nice! The idea was just so thoughtful, I couldn't turn it down!”

Napstablook blinked as he slowly floated back down. _“Sleepover?”_ he repeated.

Mettaton's smile disappeared, hoping his cousin would be a bit more enthusiastic. “Yes! Doesn't that sound...nice? I mean, I would join you, but you know I have to perform tonight...” His voice began to trail off, not wanting to see Napstablook be so down.

Napstablook seemed to be concentrating hard on something. _“What is a...'sleepover'...?”_

Mettaton gasped loudly, emphasizing it by smacking his hands onto both cheeks. “Darling! You don't know what a _sleepover_ is!?” He picked up the ghost. “A sleepover is where someone spends the night at another's house! You can do all sorts of things! Play games, watch movies, watch _moi_ on TV...anything! Doesn't that sound marvelous?”

Napstablook slowly phased out of Mettaton's hands and turned red, slightly embarrassed. _“I suppose...but...”_ He stared at the ground. _“Why do they want to invite..._ me _...? I'm...not that fun to be around...I'll probably just bore them...they can always find someone more interesting to hang out with...”_

Mettaton frowned. “Blooky, I've told you time and time again...you are Frisk's friend! Frisk cares about you and loves who you are, no matter how you may feel about yourself!” The bot embraced Napstablook. “We _all_ love you, Blooky. I could never ask for a greater cousin.”

Tears dropped down Napstablook's face. _“Th...thanks, Mettaton...”_

“Oh, don't thank me, darling—it's the truth!” Mettaton smiled brightly as he let go. “Now, you should get ready for that sleepover! I'm sure Frisk is very excited.”

 _“Okay, Mettaton...”_ Napstablook nodded with a small smile.

* * *

 

_“Mettaton...?”_

“Yes, Blooky?”

_“I...know my way to Frisk's house...”_

“Oh, I know, darling!”

_“...”_

“Is there a problem?”

_“Oh...I'm...just wondering why you're...carrying me there...”_

Just as the ghost stated, Mettaton was happily strolling down the sidewalk, carrying him under one arm. “I want to be 100% sure you will get there safely!”

_“Umm...I'm a ghost, so...I don't think anyone could hurt me—”_

“Ah, we're here!” Mettaton exclaimed, approaching Frisk's house. Still keeping Napstablook tucked under his arm, he proudly stepped up and knocked on the door.

Within seconds, the door opened and there stood Papyrus. “OH! HELLO, METTATON! WHAT BRINGS YOU HERE?”

“Hello, Papyrus.” Mettaton grinned, setting down Napstablook. “Bl—er, Napstablook was invited over for a sleepover!”

“OH, YES! WE HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR HIM TO ARRIVE!” Papyrus happily bounced up and down. “COME, LITTLE GHOST! A NIGHT OF PUZZLES, SPAGHETTI, MOVIES, AND OTHER GLORIOUS DELIGHTS AWAITS US!” He snatched up Napstablook and sprinted inside to go tell Frisk.

 _“Bye Mettaton....”_ Napstablook called to his cousin before he disappeared from sight.

Mettaton chuckled and shook his head. “Goodbye, Blooky.”

“HUMAN! OUR GHOST FRIEND HAS ARRIVED!” Papyrus declared as he ran into Frisk's room with Napstablook.

Frisk was sitting on the floor, doodling with some paper and crayons. They looked up and smiled once they saw Napstablook. “Hi, Napstablook!”

 _“Hi...”_ Napstablook shyly waved.

“Look!” Frisk picked up one of papers they were doodling on, showing him a drawing they had made. “I made it for you.”

Napstablook took the paper and stared at it in awe. It was a drawing of both him and Frisk. He was wearing headphones, music notes surrounded them, and he had the most adorable smile on his face. Tears flowed from Napstablook's eyes before he could stop them.

“WHY ARE YOU CRYING? PLEASE DO NOT CRY, LITTLE GHOST! I WILL COMFORT YOU!” Papyrus hugged Napstablook.

 _“It...it's just...really nice...”_ Napstablook's muffled voice answered. _“I...I just don't get...gifts often...”_

Papyrus let go of him. “HOW COULD SOMEONE AS KIND AS YOU NEVER RECEIVE GIFTS?” He questioned in shock. “WORRY NOT, GHOST FRIEND! I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, WILL PROVIDE MANY GIFTS FOR YOU DURING YOUR TIME HERE! NYEH HEH HEH!” With that, he bolted out of the room to start doing so.

Frisk stared at the skeleton as he left and giggled quietly. “I'm glad you like it.”

 _“Thank you...”_ Napstablook smiled and carefully folded the piece of paper into his bag.

“It's no problem. I like to draw.” Frisk placed the papers and crayons back on their desk and turned to him. “So, anything in particular you wanna do? We could watch a movie, play a board game, or...” They suddenly lit up. “Oh! Did you bring any of your CDs?”

Napstablook nodded, taking a few out of his bag.

“Perfect! I was thinking sometime we could maybe relax and listen to them if we have time. If that's okay?”

 _“I'd like that...”_ Napstablook smiled.

“Great!” Frisk headed towards the door. “Come on; let's go see what my mom is making for dinner!”

Napstablook silently followed them down the hallway, where they were both soon stopped by Papyrus.

“GHOST FRIEND! I HAVE SUPPLIED A GIFT FOR YOU!” The tall skeleton held his box in his hands as he bounded towards them. “HERE YOU GO.” He handed the box to Napstablook, who reluctantly took it.

 _“Oh...thank you...”_ Napstablook slowly opened it and wrinkled his nonexistent nose. _“Umm...is this...?”_

“SPAGHETTI! COOKED BY ME, MASTER CHEF PAPYRUS!” Papyrus announced joyfully.

Napstablook stared down at the spaghetti, then glanced Frisk's way. He knew Papyrus's reputation when it came to cooking. _(Help...)_

Frisk opened their mouth to speak, but was interrupted by Papyrus. “I SEE YOU ARE TOO STUNNED FOR WORDS, LITTLE GHOST! DOES THIS PRESENT LEAVE YOU OVERJOYED?”

Not wanting to shatter the skeleton's happiness, Napstablook nodded quickly. _“It's...really nice...”_

“I AM GLAD!” Papyrus tightly hugged Napstablook again, before letting go and running off once more. “BUT THIS IS ONLY THE BEGINNING OF MY MAGNIFICENT ASSORTMENT OF GIFTS! NYEH HEH HEH!”

Frisk tried not to laugh as he left, and Napstablook quietly chuckled as he followed them, no longer having a reason to feel so nervous. Mettaton was right—he sure was going to have lots of fun here tonight.


	2. Chapter 2

Napstablook followed Frisk into the living room. In there, Toriel was talking to Sans, who was resting on the couch.

**“why not just order pizza? seems like a quick and easy idea.”**

“I know, but...” Toriel sighed, shaking her head. “I just thought it would be nicer to have a home-cooked meal since we have a guest...”

**“hey, Tori...don't worry about it. i'm sure they won't mind.”**

“Mom?” Frisk walked in curiously, Napstablook following close behind.

“Oh!” Toriel turned around and looked at them. “Oh dear...I am very sorry, my child, but...I'm afraid we cannot have the dinner I was planning for tonight...”

“What happened?” Frisk stepped forward to peek into the kitchen, but Toriel quickly blocked the way.

“Forgive me, I...don't think you should look in there until I have it cleaned up. It's a rather sorry sight.” She folded her hands and sighed again. “I attempted to cook what the book called a “lah-sag-nah”, but I seemed to have misunderstood some of the instructions, and...I am sorry.”

 **“yeah, the cheese didn't end up turning out so _grate_ , did it, Tori?” **Sans smirked, and Toriel shook her head with a snicker.

“Aw...” Frisk was hoping to have some lasagna.

 _“Oh...that's okay...”_ Napstablook said softly, even though he had no idea what a “lah-sag-nah” was.

 **“how's pizza sound?”** Sans asked the two.

Frisk happily nodded. “Pizza!” Napstablook nodded as well, remembering when Mettaton had him try pizza before. It was actually very tasty.

Toriel narrowed her eyes at Sans, but gave up and shrugged. “Oh well...I suppose that would be the best idea for now. I'll head down and pick it up. What kind would you like?”

“Cheese!” Frisk beamed, and Napstablook nodded in agreement.

Toriel turned around. “Sans?”

 **“a _pizza_ pepperoni sounds good to me,” ** the short skeleton replied.

“Alright. And for Papyrus?”

“DID SOMEONE SAY MY NAME?” Papyrus loudly exclaimed, poking his head into the room.

Toriel jumped a little, but faced him with a laugh. “What kind of pizza would you like, Papyrus?”

Papyrus tapped his chin. “HMM...PIZZA...SANS, WHAT IS—”

 **“it's…sort of like spaghetti, but you eat with your hands.”** Sans shrugged, not sure how else to explain it to him.

“SPAGHETTI, BUT WITH YOUR HANDS? WHAT KIND OF SORCERY IS THIS!?” Papyrus gasped. “IS THIS TRUE, LADY ASGORE?”

“Kind of.” Toriel smiled. “And please, call me Toriel.”

“WOWIE! THAT SOUNDS INTERESTING! I SHALL HAVE THIS 'PIZZA'! WHAT SORT OF PIZZAS ARE THERE?”

“I'm pretty sure just plain cheese would be fine for you,” Frisk giggled.

“SPLENDID! I CANNOT WAIT TO TRY IT!” Papyrus happily skipped out of the room.

“I prefer cheese as well, so I'll pick up 2 cheeses and 1 pepperoni. Sound good?” Toriel headed towards the door.

**_SLAM!_ **

“WASSUP, PUNKS!?” A familiar voice shouted as Toriel shrieked and jumped back. “Oh?” Undyne realized how close Toriel had been to the door and cringed. “Sorry 'bout that...”

“It's...quite all right...” Toriel took a moment to compose herself and brushed off her dress. She cleared her throat. “We're having pizza since I've had a bit of a cooking disaster...is there any type you would like? I already have cheese and pepperoni planned out.”

“Hmm...pepperoni sounds good to me!” Undyne shrugged indifferently.

“Perfect—then I shall pick up 2 cheese and 2 pepperoni. Is Alphys also planning on joining us?” Toriel asked.

“She said she's rather busy with her work. And by that, she's probably having an anime marathon. I'd join her, but I decided to show up since I heard Napstablook was coming over!” Undyne looked around for the ghost and found him by Frisk's side. “Hey, old neighbor! Long time no see, huh?”

 _“Hi...Undyne...”_ Napstablook still felt a bit intimidated by her, but was relieved that she was at least trying to be nice.

“Well, I best be going. I'll return shortly!” Toriel seemed to hurry out the door, just in case someone else decided to barge in without warning and squish her.

“So!” Undyne clasped her hands together. “Whaddaya got planned for this slumber party? Wrestling? Pillow fights? Epic pranks?”

“We're still sort of figuring that out, but...how about a card game?” Frisk suggested, knowing that was the least violent thing they could think of. Napstablook silently nodded and agreed.

Undyne seemed to think about it, but didn't look too bothered. “Eh, why not? HEY, PAPYRUS! GET OVER HERE!”

“YES?” Papyrus hurried into the room and gasped with delight. “UNDYNE! I SEE YOU HAVE COME TO JOIN THE FUN!”

“Of course, punk!” Undyne noogied the skeleton, who immediately protested and attempted to wriggle out of her grip, but to no avail. “Hey, whatcha got there?” She pointed to the oddly shaped wad of paper in his hands.

“OH, THIS? THIS IS ANOTHER PRESENT FOR MY WONDERFUL GHOST FRIEND!” Papyrus headed to Napstablook and proudly handed it to him. “YOU'RE GOING TO LOVE IT!”

 _“Okay...”_ Napstablook couldn't hold back a smile as he took it and slowly tore the paper off. The gift just so happened to be a rather large, blue sweater with the words “cool dude” written on it in black sharpie.

“I MADE IT JUST FOR YOU! AND BY THAT, I MEAN I WROTE THE WORDS, BECAUSE I THINK YOU ARE INDEED A 'COOL DUDE'! ISN'T IT NEATO?” Papyrus squealed.

Napstablook blinked for a moment, but he did admire how soft the sweater felt. Perhaps he could use it as a pillow or blanket at his house. _“I...like it...it looks very comfortable...”_

“WOWIE! I AM A MASTER AT GIVING GIFTS! I SHOULD DO THIS MORE OFTEN!” Papyrus grinned.

 **“hey bro...it's my birthday,”** Sans lazily spoke from his spot on the couch.

“NO IT IS NOT! I AM NOT GIVING YOU ANY GIFTS TODAY!” Papyrus frowned.

**“welp. it was worth a shot.”**

“Hey, whaddabout me, Pap!? I don’t get anything either!?” Undyne crossed her arms.

Papyrus's eyes widened. “ER...I...HOW ABOUT...” His eyes darted around frantically, and he dashed over to a desk. He pulled out a notepad and pen and scrawled something down before ripping it out. “HERE, UNDYNE! A PRESENT!”

Undyne raised a brow and took the piece of paper, reading it. “' _You're cool too.'_ ” She stared at Papyrus, but shrugged. “Well. I guess I can't argue with that. So, what are we doing again?”

“SANS! WHAT GAME SHOULD WE PLAY WITH OUR DEAR GHOST FRIEND?”

Sans opened his eyes. **“hm...I've heard that a ghost's favorite game was 'hide and shriek'.”** He winked.

“SANS! DON'T PLAGUE THE MIND OF THIS POOR LITTLE GHOST WITH YOUR PUNS!” Papyrus flailed his arms around, but Napstablook actually seemed to laugh a little.

“Uh...I did suggest we could play a card game?” Frisk told him, trying hard not to burst into laughter.

“OH, RIGHT! I WILL BE BACK WITH THE CARDS!” Papyrus ran out of the room.

Undyne rolled her eyes and followed him. “I'll help him out.”

“So, why don't you try on the sweater?” Frisk smiled, pointing at the sweater in Napstablook's hands. “It may be a bit big since it used to be Papyrus's, but I'm sure it'll still be comfortable!”

Napstablook nodded and slipped the sweater over his head. The sleeves almost drooped all the way to the floor, but other than that, it was very snuggly and soft. He smiled happily, and Frisk couldn't help but laugh at how big it looked on the ghost, almost like a child was wearing it.

“I think it looks adorable!”

“ _R...Reallly?”_ Napstablook turned a little red. _“Th...thanks...”_

“You're welcome.” Frisk sat on the floor, and Napstablook joined them as they waited for Papyrus and Undyne to return with some card games.


	3. Chapter 3

For the next half hour, Frisk, Napstablook, Undyne and Papyrus were playing 'Go Fish' on the floor. However, most of that time consisted of Frisk having to explain the concept to Papyrus. Every time anyone told him to 'go fish', he would grab Undyne and claim he caught the fish. As a result, Undyne kept pummeling the poor skeleton.

The door soon opened just moments later, and Toriel returned with 4 boxes of pizza.

“Hi mom!” Frisk waved.

“Hello, my child.” Toriel smiled, but it slowly disappeared. “Er...Frisk, I don't mean to sound rude, but...you seem to have forgotten about a certain someone in the front yard...? He...gave me quite a scare when I arrived.”

Frisk put down a match they had in their pile of cards before looking up at their mom. “Hm?” Suddenly, they jumped up and gasped. “Oh—I completely forgot about Flowey!” They sprinted out the front door.

Sans immediately stood up. **“here, Tori...i'll help you out.”** He walked over and took 2 pizza boxes, heading into the kitchen to set them down.

“Thank you, Sans.” Toriel was slightly surprised, but knew that he and Flowey were _not_ the best of pals.

Once Toriel headed into the kitchen to put the rest of the pizza in there, Napstablook shyly faced Papyrus and Undyne. _“Um...who is Flowey?”_

Undyne seemed to try and ignore the question, whereas Papyrus immediately piped up. “OH! FLOWEY IS A DEAR FLOWER FRIEND OF MINE AND FRISK'S! HE IS...WELL...RATHER STRANGE, BUT HE IS STILL NICE!”

“Yeah, if you call trying to steal our souls 'nice',” Undyne spoke through gritted teeth.

“HE DOES NOT TRY ANYMORE, THOUGH! IT IS TAKING TIME, BUT I STILL BELIEVE IN HIM! I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, AM STILL TEACHING HIM TO BE FRIENDLY!”

“And how's that working out for you?” Undyne drawled.

Papyrus twiddled his thumbs. “IT IS...STILL A WORK IN PROGRESS.”

 _“Oh...”_ Napstablook got awfully quiet after that. He seemed a bit nervous again, but resolved to stay close to Undyne since he had a feeling she wouldn't hesitate to beat up the flower if he tried anything.

Speak of the devil, the door opened again, and Frisk entered the house with a flower pot in their hands.

“But _Friiiiiiiiisk!”_ Flowey whined, wriggling around. “I want to stay outside and scare people!”

“You've been out there for several hours, Flowey. I didn't even mean to leave you out for that long.”

“So what!? I'm a flower, you idiot!”

Frisk just chuckled as they passed by everyone to put Flowey in their room. Papyrus waved happily at the flower, who rolled his eyes in response, and Undyne simply ignored him. Flowey looked over at Napstablook, raising a brow in confusion as he eyed him for a moment. Once Frisk carried him out of sight, Napstablook trembled a bit, but decided not to think about the flower too much.

Not too long after Frisk returned, Toriel came out of the kitchen. “The pizza should be cooled off enough to eat, now.”

“GREAT!” Papyrus happily ran into the kitchen, and everyone else followed.

* * *

 

Once everyone was finished eating, Papyrus ran off to Undyne's house with her for some more cooking lessons, leaving Napstablook, Frisk, and Sans to play a couple more games while Toriel silently read at her reading chair.

 **“welp. jail again.”** Sans moved his monopoly piece, the car, into the jail square for what seemed like the 8 th time.

“Again? Are you trying to get there on _purpose?”_ Frisk frowned, paying extra attention to the dice to see if any blue magic was used on it.

 **“what can I say, kid...I can't help it if I keep getting sent to the _pun_ itentiary.” **Sans winked. **“after all, I'm bad to the _bone_.”**

Frisk groaned, but couldn't help but laugh. “Oh well. Now it's my turn.” They rolled the dice and got a 4, then placed their piece, the dog, onto one of Napstablook's properties.

 _“Oh...that's Boardwalk...you have to pay me money...”_ Napstablook quietly said, not wanting Frisk to get mad. _“You could always...um...move a space ahead...I'll pretend I didn't notice...”_

“It's fine, Napstablook,” Frisk chuckled, “I have just enough money right here.” They handed it to him.

Napstablook took the money and picked up his piece, the hat, but then came to a realization. _“Oh...wait...I'm sorry, but I forgot something...”_ He set it down and flew up.

“What did you forget?” Frisk asked.

 _“My family tradition...”_ Napstablook responded, flying out into the middle of the floor where there was a lot of room. _“After a great meal, I always lie on the ground and feel like garbage...I almost forgot...”_

“Oh yeah, I forgot, too!” Frisk joined him by his side and lay on their back. “Will you join us, Sans?”

 **“heh. sure thing, kiddo.”** Sans walked over and lay down as well, staring up at the ceiling.

Toriel glanced down at the three and blinked for a second, wondering what the heck they were doing.

 _“Oh...do you want...to join us...?”_ Napstablook shyly asked the boss monster, feeling bad for leaving her out.

Toriel smiled and set down her book. “I don't see why not,” she responded with a laugh, getting up to join everyone.

Pretty soon, everyone was lying on the ground and witnessing the vision of outer space, enjoying its soothing atmosphere and beautiful stars.

Napstablook lost track of time, but about 20 minutes had passed by the time he finally moved around to get up.

“Well! That was very relaxing, Napstablook. Thank you!” Toriel said as she stood up, fixing her dress.

Frisk stood up as well. “I like your tradition, Napstablook, although I only have one question...why do you call it 'feeling like garbage'? I think it feels very calming and nice!”

 _“Oh...”_ Napstablook stared at the ground. _“We’ve always called it that sort of as a joke, but it made a lot more sense...when...I was...all alone...”_ His last words came out in more of a mumble, barely audible. He honestly didn't know why he _still_ called it 'feeling like garbage', seeing how he had no reason to feel so worthless anymore, but the idea just seemed to stick around.

Frisk silently nodded in understanding, remembering the diaries in Mettaton’s house back underground.

Toriel noticed Frisk's look and frowned, turning to face Napstablook. “Well, I assure you that you are not 'garbage'—here, you are family.” She gave Napstablook a gentle hug.

Napstablook tried hard not to cry, hugging her back. _“Thank you...”_

“Hey Sans? You can get up now.” Frisk tapped on Sans's shoulder with their foot, but he remained in place.

**“nah, go on without me. i'll probably sleep here tonight.”**

Toriel laughed. “That reminds me; you probably want to think about getting ready for bed, too, my child. After all, you have all day tomorrow to look forward to with Napstablook.”

“Okay, mom.” Frisk gave Toriel a hug, and Napstablook followed them into their room to get ready to bed. At first, Napstablook wasn't too sure about staying in the same room as a psychopathic flower, but Frisk assured him that he wasn't dangerous—especially since Flowey was already fast asleep anyway.

Once Frisk was all ready, they hopped onto their bed, but then noticed that Napstablook was laying his sweater on the floor.

“Oh—are you sure you can sleep alright down there?” Frisk asked, not wanting to be rude.

 _“I'll be fine...”_ Napstablook smiled a little. _“This sweater makes a really nice pillow and blanket...”_

Frisk was unsure at first, but remembered how soft it was and took his word for it. “Okay. Goodnight, Napstablook.”

_“Goodnight...”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love the whole “Flowey-Pot” AU too much to let it go to waste. You'll be seeing more of him in the next chapters ;)


	4. Chapter 4

Later that night, Napstablook found that it was rather hard to relax without any music. Remembering that he had brought his CD player with him, he floated up and headed to the other end of the room. He silently reached for his bag to take out his headphones.

“So, who dragged _you_ here?”

Napstablook flinched and quickly turned around, trembling under Flowey's narrowed eyes. _“W...what?”_

“I've seen you around in the underground. You always seemed to be alone and avoided as many monsters as you could. If even the littlest problem occurred, you'd cry like a baby.” Flowey snickered. “Were you forced to come here or something?”

Napstablook couldn't stop shaking. _“I...uh...Frisk...invited me over here...”_

“Of course.” Flowey chuckled bitterly. “That sicko is too nice for their own good. Demanding someone like you to come over because they think it's the 'friendly' thing to do...you're probably miserable, aren't you?” He laughed some more, and Napstablook awkwardly hovered from side to side, trying to ease himself.

 _“Well...I...actually...wanted to come over...”_ The ghost whispered.

Flowey stopped laughing. “Wait, seriously?” he asked incredulously. Noticing that Frisk seemed to shift in their bed, he lowered his voice. “Heh. I suppose the kid does have some pretty good methods of persuasion after all.”

 _“It had...nothing to do with persuasion...”_ Napstablook shyly pointed out. _“I wanted to come because...well...they were so nice to me...they treated me better than most people...”_

“Figures,” Flowey spat, crossing his leaf-like arms. “I see they've dragged _you_ into their little 'friendship troop' too. You're certainly one of the last people I expected to grow attached to Frisk like that.”

Napstablook cowered back, trying hard not to be offended. _“Why...?”_

Flowey smirked. “I'm sure _you_ of all people should know how difficult it is to grow attached to people. I mean, after all, they're bound to leave you sooner or later, right?”

Tears came into Napstablook's eyes as memories of Mettaton flashed through his head, but he refused to cry. He knew that would only make Flowey mock him even more.

“They'll eventually forget all about you, regardless of how much you really care about them.” Flowey's mouth twisted into a sadistic smile. “Don't you idiots get it? 'Loving' people will only bring you more pain because of the constant fear of letting them down. And it always hurts the most with the people you 'love' the most. I mean, if even the slightest thing goes wrong, you'll fall apart! Why even love at all if you're just going to get hurt!?” His voice rose to a shout; he just couldn't understand.

Napstablook worriedly looked over at Frisk, who moved around some more, but remained asleep.

Flowey's eyes widened as they looked at the child as well. “...We can talk in the hall,” he said rather quickly.

Napstablook floated silently, debating whether he should.

“Come on, ya wuss; I'm not gonna hurt you. As you can see, I'm a bit handicapped, thanks to these morons,” Flowey growled, wiggling around in his pot.

Napstablook looked confused. _“Why do you...care about waking Frisk up...?”_ He asked quietly.

Flowey gritted his teeth. “I _don't_ care!” He firmly retorted, although it was still rather softly. “Last time I woke them up, they just...stuffed me in their closet, is all.” He stared at the closet. “It's...dark in there.” He shook his head. “Whatever. If you don't wanna talk, fine. I don't mean to deprive you of your _'beauty sleep'_.”

 _“Oh...I’m not that tired...”_ Napstablook admitted. _“I was just mostly going to relax and enjoy the peace and quiet...”_

“Hmph.”

Napstablook hesitated, but took the flower pot and flew out the door, gently shutting it behind them.

“Why, Napstablook?” Flowey was a bit calmer, but still scowled. “Why do you give in to this sicko and appease them with your cooperation? Why not just give up? You won't be able to satisfy everyone forever.”

_“I can...try...”_

“Didn't work so well with your cousin though, did it?” Flowey scoffed.

Napstablook inwardly cringed, trying not to remember that. _“Mettaton...said he was sorry...”_

“Oh, _did_ he now? That makes everything _so_ much better, doesn't it!” the flower sardonically exclaimed.

_“Mettaton...knows that he made a mistake, and he's trying everything he can to make it up to me...he promised that he would never leave me again...”_

Flowey frowned, but actually looked rather surprised. “Wait...that piece of scrap metal actually...came back?”

Napstablook nodded. _“Before we returned to the surface, he did...”_

Flowey was deep in thought. “Huh.” He grinned rather unnervingly. “Wait, he wanted to have you and Shyren perform with him, didn't he?”

 _“Y...Yes...although...I'm not good around crowds...it's been...more of a 'behind the scenes' sort of thing, b-but...I've been giving it a try l-lately...”_ Napstablook stared at the floor.

“So you've never _once_ had the thought that your 'dear' cousin may be only trying to take advantage of you?” Flowey cocked his head to the side. “Using _your_ mixing skills and Shyren's voice to make himself more popular? It really wouldn't surprise anyone. Heck, he probably doesn't even realize that's what he's doing! You know how dense that guy can be!”

Napstablook felt something burn inside of him. He would normally just cry, but for some reason, he didn't feel sad. He felt... _angry_.

“ _Now_ do you believe me?” Flowey sneered.

**_“Shut...up.”_ **

Flowey froze. Usually, a weak threat such as that would never scare him, but something like _that_ coming from the normally shy and quiet ghost was the last thing he expected.

Napstablook's gaze was still on the floor, no emotion in his eyes. **_“Don't..._ ever _...speak about Mettaton that way.”_** Flowey almost recoiled as soon as the ghost made eye-contact with him. **_“He is_ not _stupid, and he really_ does _cares about me.”_**

Flowey was too stunned for words. He did nothing but stare at Napstablook with wide, cautious eyes, as if he would somehow strangle the flower at any second.

Napstablook turned away from him and shivered, quickly flying away and whirling around a corner so he was out of sight. He had never felt so mad before, and he quickly flew into the living room to calm himself down.

_(I'm sorry...I'm sorry...I'm sorry...)_

**“bout time someone gave that plant a good scare.”**

Napstablook squeaked and turned around, seeing Sans on the floor. Tears spilled down Napstablook's face. _“I-I'm sorry...I'm so sorry...I-I just got m-mad...I...didn't mean to—”_

 **“hey, calm down, buddy.”** Sans chuckled, sitting up. **“you did the right thing, defending your cousin like that.”**

 _“I...I wasn't too...mean...?”_ Napstablook whispered.

Sans nearly laughed out loud. **“pal...as far as how Flowey treats everyone, he needs a taste of his own medicine. and by someone he barely even knows...that's just icing on the cake.”**

 _“Oh...”_ Napstablook didn't seem to look any better, and the skeleton's smile lessened.

**“what's wrong?”**

_“Oh...I just...I don't want to...end up like my other cousin...he has a bit of...anger issues...”_

**“listen...if this is only the _first_ time you got this mad, i'm sure that you're not gonna end up having anger issues.” ** Sans smirked, leaning back onto the floor again. **“don't worry about it.”**

 _“O-Okay...”_ Napstablook slowly nodded. _“Thank you...”_

 **“it's no problem, bud. don't let that weed get to you; after all, he can see right through you.”** Sans winked.

 _“Heh...”_ Napstablook gave a small smile as he turned around to return to Frisk's room, but remained in place as he realized he had still left Flowey in the hallway.

Not wanting to face the flower again, Napstablook silently phased through the wall to enter to Frisk's room undetected. He grabbed his headphones and CD player before he returned to his spot on his fluffy sweater. He sighed deeply, shutting his eyes and hoping Flowey would forget everything that happened by tomorrow morning.


	5. Chapter 5

It was around 9 in the morning when Frisk woke up. By then, Napstablook was already wide awake and quietly waiting for the child.

“Good morning!” Frisk smiled and stretched a little. “Did you rest well?”

Napstablook nodded and took off his headphones.

“Of course,” Frisk chuckled. “That sweater looks really comfortable to sleep in.”

Napstablook smiled and placed his things back in his bag, failing to notice that Frisk was looking at the empty spot on their desk.

“Hey Napstablook, where's Flowey?”

Napstablook would've paled if he wasn't already white as snow. He had completely forgotten about last night's events, but just one mention of the flower was enough to bring back the memories. _“I...he...um...I just...I...”_ Napstablook's eyes filled with tears as he cowered in the corner.

“Oh, look who's _finally_ awake! _Now_ can you bring me back!? I'm being terrorized out here!” screeched a familiar voice just outside the door.

Frisk blinked and opened the door, glancing down at Flowey. His pot was tipped over, and he was face-down on the floor, struggling to push himself up. “What are you doing out here?” Frisk raised a brow. “ _How_ did you get out here?”

Napstablook shut his eyes and remained in the corner, too afraid to explain to them what exactly happened last night. He didn't even dare look at Flowey, for he already feared that the flower was secretly plotting to murder him.

Flowey's eyes narrowed at the ghost, but he was surprisingly silent for a moment. “You know that idiotic skeleton...kidnapped me to inform me all about his 'Flowey fan-club'. Then the moron left me out in the hall, thinking I'd be able to return here on my own.” He grouched, rolling his eyes to further convince Frisk of his lie.

Napstablook slowly turned around, shocked. He stared at Flowey in disbelief, but the flower was purposely avoiding his gaze.

Frisk giggled and picked up Flowey, setting him back on their spot on the desk. “Well, I'll just have to remind Papyrus to take you back here when he's finished.” They smiled and headed to the door. “C'mon, Napstablook. Let's see what my mom is making for breakfast!”

 _“Okay...I'll be there in just a second...”_ Napstablook mumbled, staying behind. He turned to look at Flowey, who was scowling. _“W...why didn't you—”_

“What? Let Frisk know I was spooked by a wuss like you? I'm doing myself a favor, here! I have a reputation to maintain, y'know!” Flowey snarled, although Napstablook noticed that his anger sounded rather forced. They were both silent for a moment, and Flowey sighed. “Er...also...you looked terrified of yourself last night. Last thing I want is you crying like a baby all over again.” He growled and shook his head, trying to retain his vicious demeanor, but utterly failing. “Look, I won't say a word if you won't. Deal?”

Napstablook decided that the was best thing to do, seeing how he didn't want to speak of it in the first place. He reluctantly nodded, still shaking a bit. _“D...deal...”_ He slowly began to follow Frisk, but was stopped again.

“By the way...” Flowey wore a pained expression on his face, “Mettaton...he's...a decent guy. Not bad for, you know...a robot or whatever...” he muttered, looking away.

Napstablook wasn't sure if Flowey said that only to compensate for his snide remark last night, but was satisfied nonetheless. _“Thanks...”_ He flew out of the room, not feeling so anxious about the flower anymore.

Once the ghost entered the kitchen, Toriel smiled warmly as she set a plate full of waffles on the table. “Good morning, Napstablook.”

 _“Good morning...”_ Napstablook took a seat next to Frisk, who was already pouring a bunch of syrup on their waffles.

“FRISK!!” A loud voice echoed in the other room. _“FRIIIISK!!”_

“Hm?” Frisk looked up, their mouth full as Papyrus burst into the room.

“WHERE IS—OH, THERE YOU ARE, NAPSTABLOOK!” Papyrus beamed as he ran over to the ghost. “I HAVE ANOTHER GIFT FOR YOU!”

 _“Oh...”_ Napstablook had almost forgotten about all the gifts Papyrus planned on giving him. _“You really don't have to...”_

“BUT I MUST! THE GREAT PAPYRUS WANTS YOU TO BE TRULY HAPPY THROUGHOUT YOUR STAY!” Papyrus obviously wasn't going to take no for an answer, as he had already revealed a box that was behind his back.

Napstablook was curious to know what the gift was _this_ time, so he took the box. _“Okay...if you insist...”_ He carefully opened it. Inside was some sort of odd-looking slice of pie—nothing he had ever seen before. _“What is it...?”_

“IT IS A QUICHE! MY BROTHER MADE IT FOR ME...BUT...I THOUGHT _YOU_ WOULD LIKE IT INSTEAD!” Papyrus grinned nervously.

Sans leaned back from the couch to look at him. **“bro...i'm insulted. you don't even wanna try my master _quiche_?”**

Papyrus narrowed his eyes and growled unintelligibly, trying to ignore him

**“sorry. that pun was a bit _crusty_ , wasn't it? my bad.”**

“SANS...”

**“this just _dozen_ seem to be ending well, does it? should i take another _crack_ at it?”**

“SANS!”

**“would a hug and _quiche_ make things better?”**

_“SANS!!!_ OH MY GOSH!!” Papyrus hollered, covering his nonexistent ears and bolting out of the room.

Toriel was laughing out loud, and she had to set down the plate of bacon she was carrying before it could fly out of her hands. Frisk snickered a bit as they continued to eat their food, and Napstablook blinked as he looked down at the quiche.

 _“Um...what exactly is a quiche?”_ He asked.

“Oh, it’s an egg-pie sort of dish, but the way it’s made here is like a breakfast pie!” Toriel told him after she had calmed down. “It's quite delicious. And Sans is, susprisingly, a very impressive cook!”

Napstablook looked over at Sans, who simply shrugged. **“welp. i just got a lot of time on my hands. gotta mix things up a little sometimes, y'know?”** He stretched before shutting his eyes again.

 _“Oh...but I can't take this...doesn't it belong to your brother?”_ Napstablook asked softly, remembering what Papyrus had stated earlier.

**“nah, go ahead and keep it. Papyrus already had breakfast, anyway.”**

Deciding to go ahead and try it, Napstablook grabbed a fork and took a bite of the quiche.

“How is it?” Frisk asked.

Napstablook nodded happily. _“It's really good!”_

 **“glad to have another satisfied patron.”** Sans smiled.

_Ding dong!_

“Oh, I wonder who that could be at this time?” Toriel brushed her hands on her apron and walked over to the front door, opening it. Curious, Frisk discreetly followed her and watched from around the corner, Napstablook soon joining them.

Once Toriel opened the door, Alphys was rocking back and forth on her feet, but flinched when she saw her. “H-hi, Toriel...” She waved sheepishly. “I was just...um...wondering if you've seen Undyne? She said she took Papyrus back home last night, but then s-she...never came back. D-did she return here to stay the night?”

Toriel thought about that for a moment, but frowned. “No...I don't think so.”

“Oh...I tried to call her, but she w-wouldn't answer,” Alphys worried.

“WHAT DID YOU SAY?” Papyrus stomped into the room. “UNDYNE HAS BEEN CAPTURED!? THEN I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, MUST RESCUE HER!” He almost dove out the door, but Toriel grabbed his cape.

“Papyrus! Calm down...I'm sure she is okay. She is very strong—she can handle herself.”

“BUT SINCE WE ARE ON THE SURFACE, SHE IS IN UNKNOWN TERRITORY! SHE MAY HAVE GOTTEN LOST! WE MUST COME TO HER AID!” Papyrus continued his attempt to escape, but Toriel refused to let go.

“I-It's okay, Papyrus...I can go l-look for her...” Alphys chuckled anxiously. “But i-if...if I can't find her in the next half hour or so, c-could you maybe try to look too? I-I'll call if I ever find her.”

“Of course, Alphys. We'll always be there to help.” Toriel smiled, and Alphys stiffly nodded.

“Th-thanks. Bye!” She hastily shut the door, wanting to find Undyne as soon as possible.

As soon as Toriel released Papyrus's cape, the skeleton face-planted into the door. “OWIE!”

“Oh dear...I wonder where she could be?” Toriel murmured.

 **“hey Pap...”** Sans spoke up. **“was Undyne okay while you were both cooking last night?”**

“HM?” Papyrus rubbed his head before leaping up. “SHE WAS A-OKAY! A BIT LESS...VIOLENT THAN HER USUAL SELF, BUT SHE SEEMED PERFECTLY FINE!” He noticed Frisk and Napstablook peeking around the corner and bounded towards them. “HUMAN! WE MUST GO SAVE UNDYNE!”

“Papyrus...” Toriel sighed, shaking her head. “Alphys told us to wait here. If she calls, then we can help her. I'm sure she can handle this on her own for now.”

“NYEH!” Papyrus threw his arms in the air in exasperation. He ran out of the room, most likely to work on some puzzles to distract himself from this dilemma.

 _“I hope Undyne's okay...”_ Napstablook whispered to Frisk.

“I thought you were scared of her?” Frisk raised a brow, but agreed nonetheless.

 _“A little...but...she was a good neighbor...and she was never intentionally mean or intimidating...”_ Napstablook mumbled. He had to admit, it _was_ rather nice to have her as a neighbor for all those years...it certainly kept a lot of monsters from hanging around that part of Waterfall at times.

“I say we should look for her,” Frisk piped up, trying not to catch Toriel's attention.

Napstablook looked unsure. _“But...didn't Alphys tell us not to be involved until she really needed our help?”_

“I know,” Frisk shrugged indifferently, “but why not try? I was thinking about going outside anyway, and going on a search like this sounds fun!”

 _“Oh...I guess...”_ Napstablook stared at the floor, still debating whether he should join. The outside world could be a pretty scary place sometimes, but maybe it wouldn't be so bad with Frisk by his side. _“Okay.”_

“I'll go grab Flowey. Maybe he can help!” Frisk already ran down the hall before Napstablook could object.

_“Oh...no...”_


	6. Chapter 6

“When I said I wanted to go outside, I didn't mean be carried around by your big, sluggish arms!”

“Shush.” Holding Flowey, Frisk walked over to Toriel and gently tugged her sleeve. “Hey mom, is that okay if we go for a walk outside?” they innocently asked.

“Of course, my child.” Toriel smiled as she picked up a book from the shelf. “Just make sure you're not out for too long, okay?”

“Okay.” Frisk motioned for Napstablook to come with as they walked out the door and shut it behind them.

Toriel was about to sit in her chair when the phone rang. She headed over to the table and answered it. “Hello? This is Tor—oh! ...Are you alright? Alphys told me—what? Oh... _oh! ..._ Really? I think that's a wonderful idea! That is very sweet of you. Okay...thank you...I will. Goodbye!”

* * *

 

 _“Are you sure we won't get in trouble...?”_ Napstablook asked quietly.

“Nah. Besides—we're helping this way!” Frisk smiled.

“Whoop-de-fricken-doo,” Flowey snarled.

Frisk rolled their eyes. “So, Flowey...you wouldn't happen to know where Undyne is, would you?” They asked curiously.

“How the heck would _I_ know? I was stuck in your room all evening yesterday, remember?” Flowey grouched. “Of course, you always assume that _I'm_ the one who always upsets people...” Napstablook glanced at Flowey from his peripheral vision and noticed he grew rather silent after that.

“Alright, just making sure...” Frisk sighed and continued walking, looking around.

**“WHAT ARE YOU DOING.”**

Frisk screamed loudly and nearly tossed Flowey in the air, whereas Napstablook promptly vanished from sight with a squeal.

 _“FRISK!!!”_ Flowey screeched, not liking the idea of falling and smashing his pot.

Laughter was heard from behind everyone. **“sorry, kid. i just couldn't resist.”** Sans's perpetual grin widened as he shoved his hands in his pockets.

“Oh, _wonderful!”_ Flowey barked sarcastically. “We've got Smiley Trashbag here to join us!”

Sans eyed the flower with one vibrant blue eye for a moment before turning to look at Frisk. **“so, what's up?”**

Napstablook slowly reappeared, but remained silent. Frisk nonchalantly waved a hand. “We're just taking a walk.”

“They kidnapped me to search for their fish-faced friend,” Flowey blurted out.

“Flowey!” Frisk frowned, and Napstablook hid behind Frisk for fear of getting in trouble.

“What!?” Flowey retorted.

Sans raised his hands in defense. **“hey, i won't judge, kid. i had a feeling you'd try to find her regardless of what Alphys said. Undyne seems to be acting strange, judging from what Papyrus told me.”**

 _“How did you find out what we were doing?”_ Napstablook softly asked.

Flowey stared at the ghost obviously, and Sans just shrugged. **“i know a few shortcuts,”** he answered with a wink.

Frisk nervously shifted from one foot to the other. “Are you going to tell my mom?” they asked warily.

 **“nah...i trust you, kid.”** Sans shrugged. **“besides—i'll keep an eye-socket out for ya.”** He turned around and walked away. **“just make sure you don't get lost.”**

“Thanks Sans!” Frisk smiled and waved, and Napstablook sighed with relief.

“Good, he's gone.” Flowey sounded somewhat relieved.

“What, were you _really_ scared of getting in trouble?” Frisk asked doubtfully.

“Of _course_ not!” Flowey growled, then proceeded to grumble under his breath, “I just wanted him to leave...”

 _“Where are we going to look?”_ Napstablook asked Frisk, knowing that he was just following them around. He had no idea where Undyne would be.

“I'm not sure...but would Mettaton know where Undyne is?” Frisk suggested.

_“Um…probably not…they’re not too crazy about each other…”_

Flowey opened his mouth to add a comment, but immediately shut it. Napstablook assumed the flower had second thoughts about insulting Mettaton in front of him again.

“I thought so.” Frisk nodded, deep in thought. “If only the royal guards were around here somewhere…”

“Pfft. Yeah, like _they’d_ be any help,” Flowey sneered. “They’re nothing but a bunch of pathetic hounds! They’ve got a dog that can’t even _see,_ two dog lovers that spend all day _smooching_ each other, and then there are those other two imbeciles who want nothing but _love_ and _affection_ …” He spat those last words in disgust.

“First off, Doggo can only see _moving_ things. Second, dogs can’t smooch. And lastly, they _are_ dogs, y’know,” Frisk innocently pointed out, and Flowey rolled his eyes.

 _“I remember seeing Dogamy and Dogaressa recently…”_ Napstablook told them. _“I don’t think they live that far from me and Metta…”_

“Great! Then maybe they know where Undyne is.” Frisk smiled, stepping back. “Lead the way!”

Napstablook blinked, not used to being a leader in any sort of situation. _“Oh…okay…”_ He hesitantly floated ahead before stopping at the end of the corner, shyly looking both ways before the three crossed the street.

“Y'know, I don't think I've ever seen your new house before. Who knows, maybe _I_ could have a sleepover at your house sometime!” Frisk told him.

Napstablook smiled at the thought, liking that idea. _“That sounds like fun...”_ He knew Mettaton would love that idea.

“Ugh...can we just find that fish-face already?” Flowey complained. “It's bad enough I'm stuck with you two pushovers when I could be back in the garden harassing random bystanders!”

“Is that literally _all_ you do outside?” Frisk glanced down at the flower.

“Well there's nothing _else_ to do in this boring neighborhood...” Flowey grumbled.

 _“I see their house.”_ Napstablook pointed ahead at a rather large doghouse-looking house that was almost across the street from Napstablook's house. _“Let's see if they've seen Undyne.”_

Frisk shrugged and headed up the steps, giving a few knocks on the door before patiently waiting for a response.

There was a bit of shuffling behind the door before it finally opened, and Dogaressa poked her head out. She sniffed Frisk for a moment, then smiled brightly when she recognized the smell. “Oh! Hello, weird puppy!”

Although Frisk had tried to convince the dogs they weren't a puppy, eventually, they decided not to bother with it anymore. Napstablook gave Flowey a confused look, but the flower only muttered, “Don't ask.”

Dogaressa noticed Napstablook and raised an eyebrow. “Oh, I believe you're one of our new neighbors? It's nice to meet you!”

 _“Nice to meet you too...”_ Napstablook shyly nodded.

“Hi! We were just wondering if you've seen Undyne anywhere?” Frisk asked.

“Hmm...” Dogaressa scratched her head. “I haven't seen her today, but I did catch her last night...” She turned around. “Dogamy! Where did Undyne say she was going!?”

“Undyne?” Dogamy walked into the room. “She was heading to Asgore's house, remember?” He seemed to be forcing back a grin.

Dogaressa stared at him for a moment before realization swept over her. “Oh—right!” She giggled, giving him a wink as if they shared some sort of secret. “Thank you, honey.”

“Anything for my hot dog.” They both nuzzled noses affectionately.

Flowey groaned loudly, slamming his face into Frisk's shoulder. “Hey, be nice,” Frisk gently scolded, turning to face the two dogs. “Thanks! I'll see you around!”

“Goodbye, weird puppy!” The dogs waved happily.

Frisk and Napstablook waved goodbye, shutting the door behind them. _“They seem nice...”_ Napstablook smiled, glad to finally have friendly neighbors. It wasn't as if Undyne wasn't _friendly_ , but...you get the point.

“Yup! They're really sweet.” Frisk patted Flowey on the head, and Flowey jerked himself out of their grip.

“Don't _pet_ me, you sicko.”

Frisk ignored him. “So, I wonder what Undyne would be doing at my dad's house?” They hopped over a rock. “Do you think she may be upset over something?”

 _“Oh...”_ Napstablook couldn't help but automatically think _he_ was to blame. It was an awful habit, but he was so used to feeling like a bother that the feeling never truly left him. _“Maybe...she's...mad at me...”_

“Don't be silly, Napstablook! Undyne would never be mad at you,” Frisk laughed. “We all love you.” They gave Napstablook a hug, Flowey involuntarily joining in with a scowl.

 _“That's good...”_ Napstablook felt relieved. _“Thank you...”_

“You're welcome.” Frisk let go and smiled, walking forward. “Come on! Let's go see my dad.”

“Uuggghhh...is terrorizing people too much to ask for...?” Flowey griped, his head drooping down in boredom.


	7. Chapter 7

Asgore lived a reasonable distance away from Toriel, seeing how he knew she wouldn't be too keen on living right next door to her ex-husband. However, Frisk recently noticed that Toriel had been gradually softer towards Asgore, despite the fact that she still refused to give in to the slightest bit of affection, such as a simple hug or handshake.

 _“You know your way back from here, right...?”_ Napstablook asked cautiously, making sure they wouldn't get lost.

“I'm pretty good at finding my way back, but worst case scenario, my dad could just take us back to my mom's house.” Frisk shrugged, not worried. They knocked on the door.

The door almost immediately opened, and Asgore glanced down at the child, ghost, and flower. His eyes widened. “Frisk!” He stammered, turning bright red. “I...um...was just about to...call you...” He grinned nervously as he scratched the back of his neck. “Well...you...er...why don't you all come in...?”

Frisk noticed something seemed off about him, but decided not to say anything about it. “Is Undyne here?” they asked.

“Hm? Oh, yes, she is...” Asgore cleared his throat. “Uh...just...stay in the living room, and I'll be with you shortly!” He hurried out of the room and into the kitchen.

“What's up with _him?_ ” Flowey raised a brow.

“I don't know.” Frisk frowned, walking into the living room and sitting on the couch.

Napstablook silently sat next to them, looking up when he heard voices come from the kitchen. It apparently seemed that Asgore wasn't alone.

Frisk must've heard the voices, too, because it didn't take long for them to hop up and sneak away. Napstablook wondered if it was a good idea, but decided to follow them anyway, curious as to who else was here.

“What do you mean they're already here!?” A female voice whispered furiously.

“Now, now...everything can still go as planned,” a voice that sounded like Asgore reassured her. “I guess we'll just have to start early.”

“BUT WE SIMPLY CANNOT BEGIN EARLY!” another voice cried, desperately trying to sound quiet (and miserably failing). “MY SPAGHETTI IS NOT YET FINISHED!”

“Shh. Calm down,” another gentle voice soothed. “We don't want them to hear us, do we?”

Napstablook huddled close to Frisk. _“What's going on...?”_

Frisk opened their mouth to answer, only to be startled by the kitchen light abruptly flashing on, blinding them both.

“IT BURNS!” Flowey hissed, burying his head in the dirt in his pot.

Once Frisk's eyes adjusted to the light, they stared at the unexpected occupants in the room.

“See? I _told_ you they'd find out!” yelled Undyne, shaking her head.

“Oh dear...” Asgore hung his head.

“What's happening?” Frisk asked, completely confused as to what was going on.

“We were planning a surprise for you two.” Toriel approached them with a nervous smile. “Specifically you, Napstablook.”

 _“...Me?”_ Napstablook's eyes widened.

“WE WANTED TO THROW A SPECIAL PARTY FOR YOU TO SHOW HOW MUCH WE APPRECIATE YOU!” Papyrus exclaimed. “WELL, MOST OF US, ANYWAY. SANS IS TOO BUSY NAPPING AT THE MOMENT, SO HE COULDN'T BE HERE. BUT ANYWHO—THIS WAS ALL UNDYNE'S IDEA! SHE WAS NOT CAPTURED, LIKE I SAID...INSTEAD, SHE WAS MERELY HERE THE ENTIRE TIME, PLANNING THIS PARTY!”

Undyne grinned uncertainly, shrugging a bit. “Well, yeah...I wanted to do somethin' nice for you to...y'know...make up for all those times I may have scared you a bit...” She laughed a little.

 _“Oh...”_ Napstablook could barely speak; he felt so overwhelmed by everyone's kindness. _“I...I don't know what to say...oh...”_ He began to vanish.

“Napstablook!” Frisk grabbed his arm before he could disappear.

 _“S...sorry...it's a habit...”_ Napstablook wiped away a tear. _“Thank you...”_

“It is no problem,” Asgore told him. “We also chipped in and got you some lovely gifts—apparently, Papyrus told us that you don't get gifts often?”

Napstablook turned a bit red, but slowly nodded. _“There's just...nothing much that I want, really...”_ He paused, not wanting to sound rude. _“But...I appreciate it...”_

“Here you are. It's a bit small, but I think you'll like it.” Asgore handed the ghost a small box that was neatly wrapped with a bow.

Napstablook carefully opened the present, and it was a small, white teacup that looked exactly like him. _“Oh...thanks...”_ He smiled a little.

“Aw, that's adorable!” Frisk giggled.

“Here, Napstablook! Open mine next!” Undyne hollered, throwing her present his way. Napstablook yelped and let the present fly through him, but it was luckily caught by Frisk. “Whoops. Sorry!”

 _“It's okay...”_ Napstablook took the box and opened it, too. It was brand-new pair of headphones, much fancier than the old ones he had back in the underground. _“Oh...”_

“I know you like listening to your CDs and mixing music, so I thought you'd like these,” Undyne told him. “I didn't really think it through, though...I mean, you probably have a million of these at your house, don't you?”

 _“Oh...no...I really like 'em...thanks!”_ Napstablook placed them on his head and smiled.

“Great!” Undyne wrapped her arm around him, making sure she wasn't too rough.

Papyrus rocked back and forth on his feet, looking nervous. “NAPSTABLOOK...I APOLOGIZE. I COULDN'T FIND THE PERFECT GIFT TO GIVE TO YOU AT SUCH A SPLENDID OCCASION...BUT TORIEL TOLD ME IT WAS OKAY SINCE I HAVE ALREADY GIVEN YOU MANY GIFTS! SO PLEASE DON'T BE UPSET—PERHAPS NEXT TIME YOU COME OVER, I WILL HAVE MORE GIFTS FOR YOU!”

 _“Oh...that's okay...”_ Napstablook smiled. _“I'm not upset...thank you for everything...”_

Toriel laughed, placing on her oven mitts. “My present isn't necessarily wrapped together, but I'm sure you will still enjoy it.” She opened the oven, taking out a large pie. “I'm sure you've heard of my butterscotch-cinnamon pie, have you not?”

Napstablook nodded. _“I have...but I've never tried it before...”_

“Wonderful! Then this is your treat to take home to Mettaton. I bet he'll love it as well!” Toriel beamed, placing tin-foil on top of the pie and setting it on the table next to him.

Napstablook seemed to grow silent after that, and everyone awkwardly joined the silence, wondering if they did anything wrong.

“You like the gifts...don't you, Napstablook?” Frisk asked lowly, a worried look in their eyes.

 _“Oh...of course...it's just..._ ” Napstablook looked down. _“I just...sort of wish...Mettaton was here, too...”_

“Oh,” Toriel's smile drooped. “Well...I'm sure he'll be there when you return home,” she spoke hopefully, but her tone almost sounded doubtful. She knew he was probably out performing who-knows-where. Undyne crossed her arms in annoyance, obviously thinking the same and not liking it one bit.

Suddenly, Frisk noticed that Flowey had been awfully quiet for the past 15 minutes. They looked where they had set him down, only to see that the flower was gone. “Flowey?” Their eyes darted around the room. “Where'd he go?”

“FLOWEY!?” Papyrus hollered.

Undyne immediately grabbed a spear. “If that little punk is even _thinking_ about messing with any stuff—”

“Wait, shh!” Frisk listened closely around the corner, hearing a soft, whispering voice. “Flowey?”

The voice immediately stopped talking, only muttering a simple _'gotta go'_ before hopping out of the shadows. “What!?” Flowey grouched.

“What were you doing...?” At this point, everyone was staring at Flowey.

Flowey turned dark red, his face scrunched up in embarrassment. “None of your business!”

“Did you just call who I _think_ you just called?” A wide grin began to spread across Frisk's face.

“N-no! I mean, well—” Flowey shook his head and bared his sharp teeth. “I said it's none of your business!”

“Who did he call?” Undyne asked.

**_SLAM!_ **

“Blooky!! Are you alright!?” Mettaton burst into the kitchen, taking no hesitation to swoop up his cousin in a hug.

 _“M-Mettaton...?”_ Napstablook looked up at him. _“...I thought you were...busy...”_

“Of course not; my performance was only last night! But it doesn't matter—as soon as I was informed that you missed me, I came here as quick as I could!”

 _“Wait...who told...?”_ Napstablook paused, his eyes trailing over to Flowey, who was currently trying to distract himself.

“Oh! Is that butterscotch cinnamon pie?” Mettaton picked up the pie from the table.

“It is! I gave it to Napstablook to take home and share with you.” Toriel smiled.

“Wonderful! Thank you, Toriel; I've been looking forward to trying your pie!”

While everyone got distracted talking about pie and whatnot, Napstablook slowly flew over to Flowey.

“Don't. Tell. _Anyone_.” The flower hissed through gritted teeth.

 _“Oh...I think they already know, but...”_ Napstablook looked at the ground, then back at him. _“Why...?”_

Flowey huffed, making sure nobody else was near them. “I just...knew that Mettaton wasn't busy,” he mumbled.  “If you're wondering how I got his phone number, I heard Frisk mention it the other day and I kept the number to...make crank calls to him or something.” He snickered a little, but stopped. “Also, like I said before, the last thing I wanna see is you crying like a baby all over again,” he spat, forcing his anger again. He turned his head away, breathing what almost sounded like a sigh of… _relief?_

 _“Th...”_ Napstablook hesitated, but slowly held out his stubby arms and gave the flower a soft hug. _“Thank you...”_

“Yeah, yeah, whatever...” Flowey didn't even bother trying to wriggle out of his grip. He looked up, however, and noticed that Frisk was giggling at them. He groaned, knowing he was never going to hear the end of it from them.

* * *

 

“Well, Blooky, I think it's about time to head home now, don't you think?” Mettaton asked after everyone had stayed a while and chatted over tea and cookies.

 _“Oh...okay...”_ Napstablook slowly nodded. _“We'll just need to get my stuff back at Frisk's house, if that's okay...”_

“Oh, don't worry about that. I have your things right here!” Toriel handed him his bag. “I grabbed it just in case you were to head home after the party.”

_“Thanks...”_

“I had a lot of fun, Napstablook! We should do this again sometime!” Frisk hugged the ghost.

 _“Yeah...I had a lot more fun than I thought I would...”_ Napstablook smiled, glad that Mettaton practically forced him to come over.

“I knew you would, darling,” Mettaton grinned, and he lit up. “Oh! I have an idea—perhaps Frisk should stop by for a sleepover at _our_ house sometime!”

“I was just thinking that earlier today,” Frisk told him with a laugh.

“Well, that's fine with me. At least I know that Frisk will be in good hands.” Toriel winked. “Maybe sometime later this week we can do just that.”

“Yay!” Frisk bounced around.

 _“Well...I'll see you later, Frisk...”_ Napstablook waved goodbye.

“Bye, Napstablook! Thanks for coming over!” Frisk picked up Flowey, who mumbled “bye”, but didn’t look at him.

“BYE BYE FOR NOW!” Papyrus happily cheered.

“See ya, punk!” Undyne grinned, and Asgore and Toriel waved and said their goodbyes as well.

“I'm very glad they threw this whole party just for you,” Mettaton told his cousin once they shut the door. “Now you see how much everyone loves you?”

 _“Y-yes...and I love them, too...”_ Napstablook had a tear in his eye, not realizing how people were willing to do so much for someone like him. He used to believe he was worthless and boring and that people only invited him to things because they felt sorry for him, but he believed it no longer.

With that, Napstablook and Mettaton headed home to eat their lovely pie and enjoy each other's company.


End file.
